Solid state drives (SSDs) are data storage devices that rely on memory integrated circuits to store data in a non-volatile or persistent manner. Unlike typical disk drives, solid state drives do not include moving, mechanical parts, such as a movable drive head and/or drive spindle. As such, solid state drives are generally more durable to physical contact (e.g., bumping) during operation and operate more quietly than traditional disk drives. Due to the reliance on solid state memory devices to store data, solid state drives generally exhibit lower access time relative to typical disk drives.
Typical solid state drives monitor operational characteristics, such as operational temperature, during use. Under heavy workloads, the temperature of a solid state drive may rise to undesirable levels. To reduce the operational temperature, typical solid state drives reduce the performance by throttling both read and write accesses. Such throttling can reduce or maintain the operational temperature of the solid state drive to acceptable levels.